Bacon Corn Muffins with Savory Cream Cheese Frosting

Muffin Ingredients

8 strips bacon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat

Frosting Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 bunch chives, sliced

Special equipment

2-24 count nonstick mini muffin tins
Pastry Bag

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Place bacon onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp about 12 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.

Spray a 24-count mini muffin tray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl whisk the milk and egg. Whisk the milk mixture, melted butter and bacon fat into the dry ingredients. Add ¾ of the chopped cooked bacon, reserve remaining ¼ for a garnish.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 tablespoon of the batter so the cups are filled about 3/4 of the way up. Bake in oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.

While muffins are cooling, in a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, honey and hot sauce with a hand mixer until soft and combined. Add ¾ of the sliced chives, reserve remaining ¼ for a garnish. Mix until well combined.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag and snip off the end.

Once the muffins have cooled, pipe a small amount of the cream cheese mixture on top of each one. Garnish with remaining crumbled bacon and remaining chopped chives.